


Full Moons

by FreakHour



Series: Sweet as Hale [34]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family AU, Gen, Hale Family Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 14:59:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4671011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreakHour/pseuds/FreakHour
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sweet as Hale was begun on tumblr (http://halefamilyfic.tumblr.com) because eeames wanted some Hale Family stuff. I thought. Why not? This all happened. I admit my take on everything is definitely not s3 compliant and... It just never will be. These are pre-fire Hales. I treat it very much like if the Cosbys were Werewolves. They are a fun family how I write them. The Dad is Alec, please imagine him played by Joe Flanigan. (you should totally go to the tumblr an enjoy the imageset header eeames made it is A+++) Everyone else you know except their baby Eric. In the Hale Family only Alec and Eric are human. I hope you enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Full Moons

Derek at age five both loved full moons and completely hated full moons. There was nothing he loved more than chasing his Mom and sister through the woods, the full moon feeling like the air was seltzer water fizzing against his skin. It was the best feeling. Most full moons their Mom would play too, chasing both of them, play fighting, lots of kisses and cuddles. It was something to look forward to, it was a complete affirmation of everything they were, it was  _family_. This is why there was an ache in his heart that while they were out having an amazing time, his Dad was home alone – like he wasn’t family.

It ate away at Derek; his stomach ached with it as the full moon approached. He’d be so excited one moment and absolutely upset the next. It was a see saw that was not lost on Alec who was torn. Enjoy his son’s pain or ask him what was wrong. That he let it go on for a week was just his own joy. Alec couldn’t help it, his son was just so adorable when he was stressed out. He couldn’t wait to find out why. It might have to do with cookies. The kid was _five_  what could stress him out this bad??

Derek sat in the hallway, staring at their events calendar. On it was a huge moon sticker for the night of the full moon. Derek and Laura loved those stickers, they glowed in the dark! But it was so close… A week away! A week until… He was so excited and then it was crushed by the boulder of GUILT that his Dad would be home all alone. PROBABLY CRYING. He’d cry if  _he_  was left out. Derek felt like he might throw up, his small hands gripping his elbows hard as he hugged himself. He tried to sit up and smile when he heard his Dad’s footsteps come up the stairs; he glanced over as Alec sat at the top of them, watching him.

“Hey Big Man… C’mere.” Alec said lovingly, motioning Derek over. Derek rolled onto his side and half-wiggled, half-crawled into his Dad’s lap. He selfishly enjoyed the cuddling he got. It made him feel both better and worse so he buried his face in his Dad’s chest and whimpered a soft, “M’sorry…”

Alec rubbed his back, “Think you’d like to tell me what’s got you tied up in knots inside? As much as I enjoy your cute face when you worry I’d like to not find you so sad all the time. It makes me sad.”

Derek whimpered, he hated making his Dad sad. Sad Dad was the  _worst!_ “M’sorry Dad…”

Alec chuckled and kissed Derek’s face. “Hey hey now. I’m trying to make you feel better not worse!!! C’mon. Tell me what’s wrong. Please?”

Derek sighed, burrowing in against his Dad and sighing. “I miss you at the full moon.”

Alec smiled brightly, “I miss you too Big Man.”

Derek’s breath hitched and Alec hugged him tighter, “Hey… But I know you guys need to get out there and run amok. Commune with the moon.”

“I hate that you’re not  _there_  Dad…. I hate you’re not  _with us_. With  _family_.” Derek sniffled out and started to wail.

Alec’s heart broke and he hugged his son tight, shhing him softly and rocking to soothe him but that was not going to be enough. He’d tried back when Talia had first told him and ok yeah he had run around in the woods – badly. He almost ran off a cliff and did run into a tree when Peter had popped out of nowhere and startled him. Thinking back on it Alec was inclined to laugh but not to go frolic with the werewolves in the pale moon light again. He’d rather stay home with late-night tv and beer and cook them an amazing meal for when they dragged themselves home.

Derek showed no sign of stopping his crying and Alec felt sort of elated he was missed and worried about so much. But… He really didn’t want Derek THIS upset. He glanced up and was unsurprised to see Talia standing silently on the stairs. Years of marriage let Alec and Talia convey what was happening wordlessly. Talia sat beside them and smoothed her hand over Derek’s hair, helping him calm down.

“Derek baby.” Talia murmured softly, Derek’s turned to look at her, wiping his eyes and nose on his willing father. Talia smiled at him, in too many ways Derek reminded her of her Dad, way too sensitive about everything that had to do with family. “Derek baby, just because Dad is human doesn’t mean he’s not family.”

“But… He can’t come out for the full moon Momma…” Derek pointed out, tears welling up again. “I miss him… I hate that he’s home all alone! Like he _doesn’t belong and he does he **does!**_ ”

Talia gripped the back of her son’s neck and Alec hugged him extra tight. “Of course he does!” She chuckled, “But he’s not a werewolf so he’s sort of a disaster rambling around in the woods and night. He’s just not made for it like we are. But he’s ours and we’re his.  _But…_  Just because he can’t run with us doesn’t mean you have to miss him.”

Derek’s scrunched up face looked at her wetly and Talia leaned in to whisper softly, “Why not teach Dad to howl so whenever you miss him on a full moon you can howl and he can answer you?”

Alec craned his head to see his son’s face go from stormy to incandescent with joy. “I COULD DO THAT! I CAN TEACH HIM TO HOWL!! I CAN!!” Derek shouted, ecstatic.

Talia kissed Derek’s flushed face, “Well you better get started then.”

Alec chuckled, his wife was too much. As if he hadn’t taught himself how to howl when she had sprung her whole surprise werewolf! on him. She just never deigned to  _howl back_.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Derek was thrilled though. They spent a long afternoon with Derek educating his Dad about howling. Alec of course was the worst student and it melted his heart how patient Derek was teaching him.

Alec warbled a howl that had Laura laughing from her room, poking her head out to give him an “are you serious?” face. Laura came and sat with them, pressed against Alec’s side as Derek held his father’s face in his small hands and looked him in the eyes.

“Dad… Y’can do this. You’really good Dad ok? I  _buhlieeeeve_  in you ok?” Derek said so emphatically he had to rest his forehead against Alec’s.

Alec nodded. “Ok… You guys show me one more time – maybe I can get it then.”

Derek leaned to look at Laura, “Please help?”

Laura laughed and hugged the two of them with her skinny arms. “Yeeeeessssss.”

Derek looked at Alec very seriously, “Kay Dad. Pay ‘tention.”

Derek nodded at Laura and they both tilted their heads back and both howled. Alec loved it, it sent shivers of delight up and down his spine. Talia told him he was a weirdo but hey – it worked out amazingly for everyone.

“Got it?” Derek asked.

Alec’s mouth curled up at the corners and he nodded, “Think so. Lemme try.” Alec tilted his head back and he  _howled_ , it lacked the aspects of a werewolf and was a perfect replica of a wolf howl. Both of the kids stared at their Dad in  _awe_. Goosebumps and raised hair for both of them as they shifted in surprise.

“Daddy!” Laura gasped, just mind-blown by what she’d heard.

“I think I got it!” Alec laughed.

Derek tilted his head and shrugged, “S’okay.”

Alec looked at his son in surprise and just laughed so hard that when he hugged his kids  _their_  insides shook with it.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

The night of the full moon Laura pounced Derek, leaping away with a giggle into the woods. Derek chased after her laughing, feeling the glorious seltzery buzz in his skin. He paused, panting and feeling that sharp longing for his Dad as his mom and sister laughed somewhere just out of sight in the dark. Derek tilted his head back, they were pretty far out but – maybe… He howled loud, feeling it sing through his whole body with the rush of the moonlight. Derek held his breath. One. Two… The faint answering howl from his Dad flooded his heart with relief and joy and  _love_. He might be far away but it felt like they were right there together. Family. Derek laughed and bounded off into the underbrush bent on finding Laura and biting her ankle.


End file.
